Craze
by Ironelf
Summary: All her life she lived in the shadows of her family. Her parents didn't expect her to be like them. Her brother, however, had all the glory. He had the air of a true scarer; a real Worthington. It would have been nice to have had something to prove, but that's not how it turned out. Still, this crazy freshman managed to meet the eyes of a member of another prestigious family...
1. Rainy First Day

**Alright guys, this is my first fic, and hopefully a good one. I've wanted to write something for a while, but until now haven't had the willpower to do so. So here goes.**

* * *

My feet trudge aimlessly down the puddle-littered sidewalk. The gentle rain tapping steadily at my coat. My book bag hangs heavy at my side. I swear it's five pounds heavier than it was this morning, but whatever. I can handle it.

I hear his big feet stride up beside me. He stays just out of sight from behind my hood, but I don't turn my head to look at him. My amber eyes remain on the locked on the path ahead.

"So," My silence means nothing to him. "How much homework did you get?"

I can feel that bloody grin staring into me without even looking. I sigh, "Ms. Hook loaded us with work, and I've already got an assignment in Geometry."

He chuckles. "Oh poor thing!" I feel his clawed hand on my shoulder. "You're just a freshman, Ginger. You haven't seen anything yet."

"Ha!" I scoff. " _Just_ a freshman?!" I turn to meet his violet gaze. One pair of arms on my hips, and the other crossed confidently in front of me. "I'll have you know, I'm the freshest freshman this school will ever see! And your senior crap will have nothing to face my majesty!"

I can see it in his eyes. He's holding back hysterical laughter. It'd probably be the greatest laugh of his life if my tiny self wasn't threatening to gouge his eyes out.

I turn on my heel (well, technically toe. My feet are made so that my heels can't touch the ground) and continue walking.

"How was Spanish?" He asks as he catches up to me.

"'In this class you will learn to read and speak the language of monsters from the Spanish country. Please open your books to page 2.'" I drawl in a bored, wish-for-death tone. "Sounded like he'd been saying the same thing for a thousand years."

He nods. "Same speech with me, but that's just Mr. Tappr for you." A snicker laces his words. "I'm sure soon you'll be getting the 'crazy will not be tolerated' lecture. _For whatever reason_ he finds this is very important to convey."

"Uh-huh, sure."

But before he can comment on my sarcasm, we're climbing the stone steps of a glorious Victorian mansion. Yes. This is what I call home.

I lower my hood, my orangey-red hair still perfectly dry, whereas the purple behemoth next to me is sopping wet. The floodlights click on, silently welcoming us home. As I step inside, the familiar, expensive scent of home comes wafting around me. The soft light of a chandelier reflects wonderfully off of my olive green skin. A calm sense seems to float through the whole house.

"At the door, Johnny." A voice calls from inside.

He growls from behind me, not even having a chance to step in the door.

I chuckle. "Told ya you should've packed a coat, Big Brother."

He glowers at me before taking the chance to flick loose droplets of water at my nose.

"Hey!" I shout, but can't help laughing at his grumpy, drenched from. I hand him a towel, then scamper off to my room to put my stuff away. And to change into something comfier, that rain still got me cold and damp.

* * *

Well then. That's day one. Only 179 more to go.

"I'm a freshman." I tell myself as I stare blankly into a shadowy corner of my room. "I'm a bloody freshman."

My bag that's been stuffed with the first day's work sits silently at my desk. The wet clothes I'd worn this morning are now in the hamper, and I'd slipped on a cozy red cardigan.

"Freshman. I'm a f…"

"Hey freshman, get out here! Mom's been calling you for the last five minutes!" Johnny yells through my door.

"Alright, alright I'm coming!"

I open my door to find his giant shadow looming over me. "Freshman." He grins.

"Senior." I stick my tongue out. "You can't compete with me."

"You wanna bet?" Before I can say crap he's snatched me up from where I was standing and clenched me in a head lock.

"LET ME GO JOHNNY!" But he's three times my size, and if he wanted could probably crush my ribs right now. He takes his claws and mercilessly ruffles my perfectly brushed hair. "No no no no no no no NO! You've gone too far!"

"Put her down." Mom scolds from downstairs. I am saved. Johnny knows this isn't over. I've lived with him for thirteen years and he's not once gotten away with messing up my hair. I'll wait until just the right moment to exact my ruthless revenge.

"Ginger, dear, how was school?" My mom's silky voice coos as she sets plates down at the table. She's built like me; reasonably small, slim, long tail, red hair, and big pointy ears, but she has horns more alike to Johnny's, compared to mine, which are a pale gold and lay back against my head.

"Fine. Just fine." I say flatly as I pick up my plate.

But of course this is my mother, Shirley Worthington, I'm talking to. She won't let me off that easy. "Well, tell me about it. 'Fine' doesn't tell me anything."

I smile. Mom is so cute when she pushes for details like this. It's almost hard to believe she's a scarer, with those wide lavender eyes and soft smile. "I counted eight times that people hesitated to say my name."

"That's a record isn't it?" Her ears prick and her voice is laced with a hint of annoyance.

"Yeah…" For whatever reason, my whole life my name has been a bit of a stumble. 'Ginger' obviously isn't a common name, but no one ever believes me, asking me to be serious, or what my real name is. And then there's the fact that I'm my brother's younger sister. Monsters will almost choke on their words when I tell them I'm a Worthington.

"I don't know what's so hard about it." I look up from staring down at my toes to see Mom's ears laid back. "You're my daughter, Ginger Ale Worthington. Nothing about that is going to kill you."

"Don't be so sure about that Mom." Johnny says as he walks into the kitchen. "This is Ginger we're talking about." He walks up behind me and pats my head.

I glare at him and internally scream 'If you touch me one more time I WILL kill you!'.

He seems to get the message and refuses to make eye contact with me for the rest of the night.

* * *

My small form crawls silently down the hall. I reach the door, and slip myself into the pitch black room. Heavy breathing rumbles throughout the space, the monster that it belongs to lies like a lump on the bed. My light sensitive eyes glance to the clock; 5:47. I smirk to myself. _Perfect._

I stalk up beside him, and lean over just above his polished mahogany horns.

"BIG BROTHER WAKE UP IT'S MORNING!"

I mercilessly yank him out of bed. He yelps as his bulk hits the floor with an enormous thud.

"Good morning sleepyhead. Did you have any good dreams?"

He just stares up at me. His wide, violet eyes are unreadable. "Soon you will be begging for death."

* * *

 **Okay, there it is! The first chapter of my first fic. I hope you all like this. I will admit, I'm not actually a freshman yet, so if I got this wrong I'll come back in a month and fix it. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but until then I'd like to hear what you guys think. Well then, Elf out!**


	2. Quite the Night

I sit in the dusty confines of my room, my cat-like nose plunged in text book. It's a History book…I think…maybe math… I kind of zoned out for the past five minutes, or maybe it was an hour… I don't know. This whole 'study' thing isn't agreeing with me. It's a book, and I sit and stare at it and collect its wise knowledge of bookdom. Now that I think about it, what does the book know? Where has this tree corpse been? What has it seen? I bet I know more than this book. I've been places, I've done things…

I sigh. It's 9:42. This is about the time my night-self kicks in. That means I either sleep, prank Johnny, or do some kind of action that results in a positive output. This 'studying' does nothing for me.

My stomach growls. I guess I am a bit hungry, and food doesn't sound too bad right about now.

With a sudden jolt of energy, I bound out of the room. Food sounds really good; I hadn't realized how hungry I was until now.

I slink down the stairs, through the sleeping house and into the kitchen. By this time my stomach is practically roaring at me.

I open the fridge, hoping to find some of those chicken sandwiches we had the other night, but see no triangular shaped tinfoil wrappings. I shrug, then reach for a package of blueberries. I pop a handful in my mouth, then lurch at the crunchy texture. They must be old. I'll leave them in here for someone else to find. I stare at the fridge's contents, wishing for something to jump out at me that looks tasty. My hungry amber eyes land on a container of caramelized apples. My mouth begins to water and I immediately snatch those out. I grab a cheese stick out of a drawer, too.

I don't bother heating the cinnamony apples up, for fear I'll wake someone, and besides, there just as good cold. I sit at the island, slurping the cinnamon goodness and munching on my cheese stick.

I lick my lips once I've finished. I feel no regret. I look up to the clock; 9:48. Sleep does sound nice, but I've got a math quiz on Monday and I really need to do good on it.

"Urgh…" I moan to myself as I message my temples. I didn't sign up for this. I want my sleep. I want my own time. I at least want a descent day without stress, but I know that's a bit much to ask. This whole business is just…

A shuffling noise jolts me from my thoughts. I look madly around, but see nothing. My fluffy ears prick forward, listening for even the slightest bit of movement.

There it is again. This time more distinguished. I can easily pick out the thump of footsteps.

I dart behind the shadows of the island, hoping that the bit of scarer in my blood kicks in and that I'm stealthy enough to hide in the darkness.

The footsteps become clearer as whoever it is approaches the kitchen. The pace is too quick to be Mom's; she's normally steady speeded, and the thump of feet is too loud to be Dad's; who usually walks silently (scarer habit). Which means it could only be Johnny… But that doesn't make any sense! Johnny loves his sleep, he's always the first one to bed, especially on Fridays like this.

But, much to my confusion, in comes the big furry monster that I call a brother. He yawns, his large tusks glinting in the ray of light cast as he opens the fridge. Luckily he doesn't see me as I creep around to the other side of the island. He seems focused on the fruity drink in his hands.

I try not to drool, realizing with great annoyance that I'm _still_ hungry.

Before bolting out of the kitchen, I pause. His fur seems incredibly well brushed considering he just woke up. Not to mention, he looks surprisingly bright for Nighttime-Johnny. I'd expect him to be dead before I ever saw him up and about at this time.

He looks to the clock; 9:51. "I've still got time." He whispers to himself.

 _Time? Time for what?_ I want to say that. I really do. I'd love to scare the crap out of him and to see the look on his face, but I keep quiet.

"Think my keys are still in the car…" He whispers again.

Keys? Car? He's going somewhere?

"Starts at 10… Pretty sure…" He stares into his cup, not even glancing in my direction as I dart out of the kitchen.

I rush to my room to grab my dark blue jacket, zipping it up over my tank top. The tuft of orange fur at the tip of my tail is bristling with excitement. _This is going to be my best prank yet!_

* * *

I tuck myself into the nook behind the driver's seat of Johnny's black Roars Royce, which, lucky me, is scooted forward due to his short little legs. I snicker to myself. "This is going to be so good!"

Not long after I've hidden myself, I hear the driver's door open and Johnny's unmistakable mumbling. He doesn't even flinch as he turns the ignition and backs out of the garage. I'll wait until the right moment to strike, but I want to see what he's doing first.

I feel him drive onto the road, and several minutes pass before either of us make a sound, but when he speaks I feel my heart drop into the blackest pit of the sea.

"Why, my dear, sweet sister, I know you're back there." He coos in a sugarcoated, sing-songy voice.

I say nothing. I can't say anything. My will to live has practically left.

"Ginger, my beautiful dear, sit down so I can see you. Sitting all crunched up like that can't be comfortable at all." I can feel his sneer, but there's no denying it. I have been caught.

I sit up and buckle myself in, not bothering to glare back at him from the mirror.

"Busted." He scoffs.

"What are Mom and Dad going to say when they find out you've been sneaking away?"

He chuckles. "Oh you're not going to tell them anything."

"What makes you so sure?" I pout, crossing all four of my arms, my tail twitching angrily.

"Well," He huffs. "I don't think you're going to walk home. And plus…"

Our eyes meet in the reflection of the mirror.

"I think you'll find this to be quite the night."

* * *

 **Woot! Second chapter! My little Ginger is in for a real night of her life! I'm so jittery for this fic right now, I can't wait to get going on it. I actually got hungry while writing this, so that is the story of my kitchen crusade. And yes that is pretty much what I think of the whole 'study' thing. I'm sure high school will give me a real smack upside the head, but oh well. The feedback makes me so happy, all of the love to you! The next chapter will be out soon, until then, Elf out!**


	3. Life and Death of the Party

Johnny's car slows to a stop. When I look out the window I see a few other cars already parked beside us along what looks to be an old stone wall.

I reach for the door, but Johnny locks it before I can pull the handle.

"You ready to die, Sis?"

I growl at him. "Are you?"

He chuckles softly, but then turns around to look me in the eye. "Trust me, Ginger, I'm helping you, but if you breathe a word of this to Mom or Dad we're both dead."

I swallow hard. Father would kill Johnny if he found out he was sneaking out at night, and I wouldn't last much longer now that I'm here too. "So are you going to let me out or what?"

An evil grin creeps across his face as he unlocks the doors. We both step out, and he locks the car behind us.

I follow close on his tail, tracing my pale golden claws along the weathered surface of the stone. The grass beneath our feet is tall and overgrown. The whole place has this eerie feel about it, almost like it's not as empty as it seems.

"They say it's haunted." Johnny says, reading my thoughts. "Monsters have come here and found nothing, but still claimed to have seen figures standing beyond the shadows."

My ears perk with interest. "Beyond the shadows?"

I see him smirk at my childish tone, but he continues. "Yes. Most say they saw two figures, one is always indescribable, seeming to change shape and move frighteningly fast."

He pauses, staring blankly at the grass ahead.

"And the other?" I squeak, genuinely interested in this story.

His grin returns full force. "They say the other has horns like the devil, and it's said that if you look into his eyes you'll see your worst nightmares."

"So… What happens to the monsters that have seen them?"

"They go batty. Most of them can't talk straight and some get panic attacks when the memory is brought back."

A demon and a shapeshifter? I have to admit that sounds really cool, but at the same time really scary. For whatever reason Johnny isn't fazed a bit.

"Um, so why are we here?" I ask, a sudden fear taking over me.

He chuckles. "Don't worry, they don't come out to attack crowds."

"Crowds?"

My question is answered by the blaring of music. Up ahead I see a crack in the wall where time has broken it. Light of all colors shines through it, and shapes dance around in the colorful light show.

Johnny steps over the fallen stones, I join him shortly before having the wind stolen right from my lungs. We're inside a huge, abandoned auditorium, lit up by colorful strobe lights. A hundred monsters are dancing to the electronic beat of a DJ. The smell of pizza is heavy in the air, and I realize once again how starving I am.

I turn to Johnny, who is watching me gape in awe with an expression most amused. The white shirt he's wearing is now glowing brightly in the strobe light. "What?"

"Not so bad is it, Freshman?"

"You shut up."

He laughs. "Alright, I'm sure you can go off and die without me. Help yourself to some pizza, grab a glow stick, dance, do whatever." He turns to leave me. "Oh but stay away from the punch. It can be a bit strong." Then he saunters off into the crowd before I can say a word.

"Ookay Ginger," I squeak to myself. "Welcome to your first party."

I timidly walk through the crowd of monsters; some dancing, others mingling, most holding red plastic cups of a fruity drink. I recognize some of the monsters, though their names are not known to me, as juniors, seniors, sophomores, and freshman like myself. None of them seem to notice me, none of them seem to care. I could probably drop dead of a heart attack right here and no one would so much as blink. Well at least they're not all staring at me.

I sniff out the snack table at last, and find forty boxes of pizza stacked by a large punch bowl. I immediately lunge for the pepperoni, my hunger taking over me as I take two slices and eat them at once. It tastes sooo good.

I finish my third slice, feeling much less empty, but much thirstier. I reach for a cup of punch, remembering what Johnny said about it being 'strong'. I don't know what that means, but it's not like it's going to kill me. There are other freshman here drinking from the red cups and they look… a little sloppy to be honest, but how bad can it be?

I take a sip of the fruity beverage, then lurch at the pungent taste. That's alcohol. The punch had been spiked. "Eww." I grumble, setting the cup down. I'm only thirteen, I shouldn't even be this close to alcohol. "Johnny…" Why did he have to bring me here? There's a life supply (actually probably only a week) of pizza, but nothing to drink! Of all the dirty tricks he's pulled on me this is one of the worst.

I slouch against the cold stone of the wall, listening to the music and terrible singing echo around the auditorium. I don't know what I was thinking. Pranking Johnny? What did I expect? And I've still got to study. For once I actually miss my dusty books and quiet room, but I'm a long way away from home, and Johnny was right when he said I wouldn't walk home. I'm too lazy and I'd probably get lost. I wish I could be alone. "But I am alone…"

"Oh chica, you don't have to feel so lonely."

I jump at the sudden voice, turning abruptly to see a dark, four-eyed monster leaning on the wall beside me. He's tall. That's the first thing I notice. This monster is very tall.

"What's the matter? Did I scare you?" He grins, revealing razor sharp, pearly white teeth.

"N-no…" I stammer, looking down at his four arms. "I just…wasn't expecting that."

He snickers, but his laugh sounds more like a hiss. "Oh of course." He looks me up and down, and I notice the whites of his eyes are… red. "What's a cute chica like you doing over here by yourself?"

I furrow my brow. "Cute? Cute? Excuse me, but I am _not_ cute." I jab my claw at his chest, immediately regretting it when I realize that under his black button up jacket there is a beetle-like shell.

"Well, then what are you?" He asks, his voice smooth and full of charm, taking no notice that I just stabbed him.

I can't quite will myself to look into those four red eyes, instead I look up to find that he sports a pair of antennae. "I'm not your chica."

His eyes widen at my response and his smirk disappears. It's my turn to have some fun.

"What's the matter big guy?" I tease, taking a confident step forward. "Did I burn your tongue out?"

He blinks a couple times, taking in the card I just dealt, but his grin returns. "What's your name kitten?"

My ears flip forward and my eyes burn with rage. "Kitten?! I'm sorry but I'm nobody's little kitten! If you came over just to try and pet me, you can shove off!"

He hisses a laugh, I swear one more word and I'll rip his tongue out. "I just came over because you looked lonely. No need to be hostile." He holds his hands up in 'innocence', but his devilish smile remains. "So what's been bothering you, Kitten?"

"Shut your mouth."

"Hey, I'm just asking."

I growl and slump back against the wall.

He waits for my answer. "Are you going to tell me?"

I sigh in defeat. "My brother tricked me into coming here and I can't drink the punch."

"Oh, there's a cooler with soda over there." He points across the dance floor.

"Wait what?"

"Si, to the left of the DJ."

"Oh…" I say quietly. "Thanks."

"Anytime Kitten."

I frown. "My name is Ginger. Don't call me Kitten."

"I can't make any promises. I'm Javier, by the way." He holds out a black-clawed hand.

"Pleasure." I say blandly before walking to where he said the soda was, and sure enough I find it. A blue cooler full of ice and sugary drinks. I shovel through the ice until I find a grape flavored one, my favorite.

I crack the can open and choose another spot on the wall to chill, watching all the drunk monsters dance their lives away. I see couples grinding and duking it out in the middle of the floor. For once I hope Johnny isn't making a fool of himself. I don't want to live in the same house with that purple goon if he's off in some broom closet. No doubt he probably is doing something stupid right now, I'm just glad I'm not around to see it.

"Hola Kitten."

Bloody. Hell. "I thought I told you my name is Ginger." I say dryly without taking my eyes off of the crowd of monsters.

"You did," I can feel that smirk burning into my skull. "but I prefer to call you Kitten."

"Wonderful." I sip my drink as casually as possible. "So care to explain why you found me again?"

A silence lingers after my question, but he eventually finds enough of an excuse for an answer. "Everyone else is dancing, I didn't want you to feel left out."

"Everyone else is drunk." I spit. "And you're not dancing."

"All the more reason to ask." He leans in close to me. Now I smell the heavy alcohol on his breath, it's almost dizzying. "Come on, Kitten. Dance with me."

"Give me a reason to." I growl, angrily crushing the soda can in my claws.

Suddenly I feel his claws on my cheek, turning my face to meet his. "What reason do I need?"

I hiss. "There is no reason, in all of Hell, that I would ever dance with you." I shove him away from me, turning to leave.

"Oh well, I suppose you wouldn't be very good at it anyways…"

I shove past him, grabbing his jacket and pulling him out to the dance floor. Once we're there I drop him, his grinning face not even showing a hint of surprise. I hold my chin high, staring him dead in the eyes.

"Oooh did I make the Kitten mad?" He chortles.

" _There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you paid for."_

I am quite proud of my dancing skills, and if this _Javier_ has the guts to insult me then he must have the will to try and best me.

I chuckle to myself as I spin around, swaying my body to the rhythm of the music. " _Give me a sign I wanna believe!"_ I gesture for him to try his luck, my own smirk forming as I watch his expression with amusement.

Sadly, Javier turns out to be a good dancer. His feet are faster, and he has this upbeat air that just screams with confidence. " _Say what you mean, tell me I'm right!_ "

I growl as he leans close to me. "What's the matter Kitten? Had enough of the dance floor?" He hisses an evil chuckle. "Or would you prefer to be alone?"

I'm done. I rush away from the devil of a monster, towards the entrance where this nightmare had begun. This was all a big mistake. I should be in my room right now studying. Not here. I don't want this…

"Woah, hey Ginger, where are you going?" A voice that at the beginning of tonight could have curdled my blood is now a sweet lullaby to my ears.

"Johnny I want to go home."

He doesn't say anything at first, just looks at me puzzled. "Sis are you okay? What ha…"

"I want to go home."

* * *

I lay staring at the ceiling in my room. That wasn't a dream. I can still smell the toxic fume of alcohol clinging to my clothes. The flashing lights still burn in the back of my head, music rings constantly in my ears. No solid thoughts come together in my head, but one image remains glued to my conscience.

The pearly white grin of that fiendish monster. Javier.

* * *

 **And now Ginger has been to her first party, and has also has had a run in with the devil himself. I've got some things planned for my sweet little Ginger snap, oh boy here we go. The song they were dancing to is Ballad of Mona Lisa by _Panic! at the Disco_ , and I'm sorry that I'm terrible at dancing scenes. Welp, I'll be working on that next chapter soon enough, but it may take longer due to some life business. So until the next chapter, Elf out!**


	4. Study, Stars, Restart

Three days since the party, and the memories are already fading away. My classes are going pretty well, I got and A- on the quiz in Geometry that I studied _so hard_ for. I'm finally getting a grip on all the homework, and my mind and body are adjusting to the lack of sleep that I get. But of course Johnny has to make life hard on me. As always.

"Wait why are we staying?"

"We're staying because I have some stuff I need to do and you're too lazy to walk home because you missed the bus." Johnny says matter-of-factly as we sit down in the deserted cafeteria. He shuffles some papers out on the table in front of us and begins to mull over them like they hold the recipe for the elixir of life.

"I don't like sitting in a big sweaty bus full of monsters John!" I whine as I pull out my biology textbook and a clean sheet of paper. "What kind of stuff do you have to do that you can't do at home? This is dumb."

He groans as he clicks his pen and commences to ignore me.

Neither of us move or speak other than the occasional scribbling of pen against paper. I write a few notes, and after taking a few glances he seems to be working on some kind of senior math that is too complicated for my freshman mind to compute. I turn my head slightly to look at the clock. "Johnny how much long…"

My ears prick up, swooping in all different directions to try to locate the sound. It sounds like someone is running down the hallway, not caring how much noise they are making. My cat-like mind begins to list off traits; big feet mean big monster, but this doesn't seem to be a big and clumsy monster, there's no tripping or stumbles in this monster's gait, and I can't hear much labored breathing, so whoever it is just must be late for something, not being pursued.

I shrug. None of my business. Probably just a club monster late to a meeting.

But the footsteps grow louder. Johnny's violet eyes look up from his papers, staring blankly at the entrance to the cafeteria. I look too, and see the strange monster comes sprinting around the corner.

Cold dread seeps through me. I recognize this monster; tall, dark, insect, red eyes like bloodied crystal balls. _No…_

He swings around the corner and into the cafeteria, spotting me immediately. A pearly white smile creeps onto his features, sending shivers up my spine.

Johnny stands up, shoving his chair back and locking eyes with the red-eyed monster. The new arrival's smile drops. He recoils at the sight of Johnny, sneering in disgust.

I smirk. I may bicker and argue with my brother, but I know that, even if he would rather not admit it, he will stand up to any monster that threatens me or our family. It's that volcanic temper of his. Nothing at this moment is going to stop me from watching my big brother pummel this monster to the ground.

Johnny's glare is enough to melt steal, a snarl fixed menacingly on his face. I'm surprised the offender hasn't run for the hills already. Instead he returns the grimace, hissing like a demon from the seventh circle of Hell.

A growl rumbles through the whole cafeteria. Johnny's fur bristles. He takes a step closer.

So does the red-eyed monster.

I hear a deep intake of breath. I brace myself for the roar, but to my shock…

"I was beginning to think you'd left me, Jav! Where've you been?!"

"Lo siento, amigo. I had to stop my locker but got caught up."

Johnny shakes his head and grins as he sits back down at the table with me. He pats the insect monster on the back as he takes a seat, too.

I glower and sink in my seat, hoping he doesn't notice me.

"'Caught up' eh? Sure, sure. I'll believe that."

"Hey it's not entirely my fault. They had it coming."

They continue on for a while as if I'm not there. I just stare into Johnny's soul and curse him internally. _I hate you so much Big Brother. I swear when we get home I_ will _kill you. I will make it slow, and I will make sure your heart is roasted black on a spit. I will eat it and enjoy every bite of it. Trust me, Big Brother, I will…_

"Hey sis, are you going to introduce yourself or are you just going to sit there getting smaller?"

"I'm going to eat your heart."

"I don't doubt it." He grins evilly at me.

I groan, sitting myself up and leaning my elbows on the table. "Hi."

The beetle just stares at me, a look of utter confusion plastered on his face. He turns to Johnny. "This is your sister?"

Johnny nods. "Sad isn't it?"

"Shut your mouth."

He turns back to me, his red-eyes wide and surprised. "I… I didn't know you two were related."

"I was there when it happened and I'm pretty sure we came from the same place." Johnny says nonchalantly.

"Ummm…"

"I did not need to know that."

"Si… That was a bit…much…"

"Well I'm sorry you poor eggs can't deal with life. Jav—sense you're too wimp to introduce yourself…" He gives me the look. "This is Gin…"

"We already met." He interjects.  
"Uh…" A can feel Johnny's eyes dart from me to Javier, but don't break my glare at the bug monster sitting across from me. "I…uh…suppose that makes things easier on me… So how'd you meet, exactly?" His voice squeaks into curiosity.

"At the party."

"I told you about this."

I silence looms over the three of us as Johnny takes in this information. He turns to Javier. "So you're the dirty bastard she told me about? I thought that description sounded familiar."

Javier bursts into hyena laughter and Johnny rears back in a fit of his own. I just sit and grumble. "I hate you both."

"Aww sis," Johnny pouts when he gets a hold of his voice. "Jav is a harmless bug. He'd never hurt anybody." He pats my shoulder as I glare at him.

"You call me a bug and I'll murder you." Javier says, suddenly not laughing anymore.

"Pardon." Johnny excuses himself with a hand over his chest, his half lidded eyes screaming that he regrets nothing even though the bigger monster looks as though he really would murder him if he ever called him a bug. "Now," He continues. "I called you here for a reason." He pushes a paper towards Javier as if it's some secret document. "Help."

Javier picks up the paper in his black claws, squinting at the small print. "Looks like just a simple equation. No problema."

" _Gran problema_." Johnny says, beginning to look desperate. " _Ayuda. Por favor_."

Javier rolls his beady red eyes. " _Por que deberia? Su hermana es merdia_."

" _Because Soy tu hermano, y tengo que pasar, y me encanta_." Johnny pleads.

I stare blankly at them. I can only catch snippets of what they're saying. Something about passing, and some other things I can't understand.

" _Por favor, hare lo que sea_."

This gets Javier's attention. " _Cualquier cosa?_ "

This is _killing_ me! I need to know what they're saying! I don't know if they're planning something… No no, Johnny wouldn't do anything bad to me. He's my big brother he wouldn't do that. Well, he would take me to a party and introduce me to the devil, but he's already done that. He wouldn't do anything worse…

" _No volverse loco. No voy a hacer una cosa loca, solo la normal_." A small grin finds its way onto Johnny's face. I pick up the word 'crazy' in their conversation, and begin to feel myself shake slightly.

" _Tengo algo en mente…_ " Javier's expression remains somewhat stoic, but I can't see mischief in those devilish, haunting red eyes.

" _Que?_ "

" _Esta linda chica aqui…_ " His eyes land on me, and that grin finally returns, creepier and more chilling than ever.

Johnny suddenly slams his hands down on the table and shouts. "ARE YOU GOING TO HELP ME OR ARE YOU JUST GOING TO SIT THERE BEING WEIRD?!"

Javier bursts out in laughter, his hissing echoing throughout the cafeteria. "Just kidding! Just kidding, clam down!"

Johnny sits back down with a huff. "Are you going to help me?"

"Si, amigo, I was just messing." His eyes dart to me for a second, glancing me up and down once more. "Just messing around."

I flick my ears back and hiss. He immediately reverts his attention back to Johnny.

"I'll be around if you need me." I say as I grab my things and leave the table.

"We won't." Johnny snorts.

"Don't be so sure about that." Javier whispers so I can barely hear him.

I suppress a growl as I leave the cafeteria. I'd been hoping to finish my homework early this afternoon, but it seems that will not be so. It's times like this that I wish I could grab Johnny by the horns and just… ARGH!

I claw at the air around me with all four arms, clenching my teeth until my gums turn white. My books tumble across the floor as I throw my bag to the ground. I drop myself against the wall and hold my knees to my chest, curling my body into a ball. Why did he have to be friends with that monster? I wanted to leave all of my shame behind on the dancefloor. But no. I have the sinking feeling in my stomach that this monster won't leave me alone. He'll never let my conscience rest. I'll always have that stupid, pearly grin drilling into the back of my head. No matter where I go, no matter how far I am, the memory will be there.

I sigh and gather my books back into my bag, keeping the biology book from earlier out. This can't effect my grades. I'm sure it will pass with time. The memory will be there, but I'll learn to forget it. That's what this whole school thing is about; learning. Soon this will just be a teardrop of shame in the river of life. Nothing to worry about.

I open up my book, and continue my notes from earlier, letting the flood of science wash away my terrible thoughts.

* * *

Time passes, I'm not sure how much, but still I sit in the dimly lit hallway with my book. My tail is curled delicately around my feet, one of my golden claws taps gently on the pages of the book. It's serene really, the whole quietness of it. Not even the Worthington house at night gets this calm.

I hear the clicking of claws coming down the hall. My ears twitch and my tail flicks slightly back and forth.

A shadow leans over me, making no noise, just there.

"And what do you want?" I try not to snap as I turn the page.

He chuckles. "I want a lot of things, but we don't always get them."

"Pity." I say.

"…Your brother is downstairs looking for you. He sent me up here to do the same."

"What if I don't want to be found?" I hiss.

"I don't think you have an option there." He says.

I feel his hand reach out and expect myself to be yanked onto my feet with no mercy, but instead I look up to find his claws hovering above me.

"Umm…" I take his hand and he gently pulls me to my feet. He uses the other pair of his arms to grab my things and close up my bag, but not before taking the book from my hands and placing it back where it belongs. "Uhhh…"

He holds out my bag, and I take it, all while staring timidly into his blank eyes. He says nothing, but proceeds down the shadowy hall.

I follow, of course. What else would I do?

After a minute of claws clicking in the silence, he speaks. "You and I didn't exactly get off to a good start."

"No." I say. "No we didn't."

"I'm sorry about that night." He doesn't take his eyes off of the dark hall. "I thought you would be like most girls."

I huff. "I suppose most girls just fall head over heels for you don't they?"

He stops at an archway into a smaller, more domed hall. "I guess you could say that."

I halt too, not knowing why he suddenly stopped moving. "Um, why are you just standing there?"

He smiles for no apparent reason. "Poor freshman." He shakes his head, and his antennae slowly sway. "Better get moving. Your brother won't be very happy if we keep him waiting."

I stiffen. "I'm going, I'm going."

We continue walking. When we leave the dome shaped hallway, he rejoins me at my side. I get a small sniff of his scent, he smells like… spices. Like a warm kitchen on a calm summer day… Somewhere far away, with no worries or cares…

I shake myself of these thoughts. _Nope. Nope._ _He's a big, buggy jerk. I know this._

We come upon a door, just barely cracked open, from which I hear the ramblings of some club. They sound like female voices, all bickering and chatting amongst themselves. They come to a quiet as we pass by. I feel some kind of ghostly feeling wash over me. Not quite nervousness, just a strange presence.

The feeling passes when we leave the door behind, rounding several more corners until we finally reach the stairs. I hadn't realized how far I'd gone on my mental rant.

At the bottom of the stairs I see Johnny's angry form. His arms are crossed and his expression fixed in a scowl. "Where've you been?"

"I thought you said you wouldn't miss me." I say as I jump the last few steps. "What's the matter John? Couldn't bear to live without your dear, sweet sister?"

He growls at me before turning his attention to Javier. "Gracias amigo."

" _En cualquier momento._ "

Johnny nods, then faces me again. "You little piece of…"

"You'll have to catch me!" I dart through the doors and out into the parking lot. The sky is dark and I look up into the black abyss. The twinkling specks of stars are spread out like spilled pixie dust in the sky.

Johnny's heavy footsteps come up behind me. "I'm too tired to tackle you so let's just call it a draw."

"Yeah sure. Like that's ever worked."

He doesn't answer, just gazes upwards, as I am. "You know," he says. "I bet someone's looking up into those stars right now, someone somewhere who we'll both meet, but maybe even never know what they're thinking right now…"

"I'm gonna tell her all your secrets."

"Shut up."

I laugh and hop in the car, buckling up and tossing my book bag in the back seat. As Johnny is revving engine, I see Javier across the parking lot staring up into the starry expanse. He looks down, and for a second our eyes meet. Then he smiles, and walks off into the shadows, disappearing yet again.

* * *

 **Alright, there we go. I'm sorry for disappearing off the edge of the earth for a few days. It's fair week here and I have to wake up at 5:30 to go feed the animals and didn't get home till about midnight last night. But all this time I've been brainstorming a bunch of ideas for this fic. That really is what I do when I'm upset. I imagine all the different ways of medieval torture that I would use if such things were legal. And yes, I know Javier is strange, but aren't we all? Hehe, I've got so many things running around in my head. I'll be working on that next chapter as soon as I can. Until then, Elf out!**


	5. Traditions

A rush of students floods from my last class of the day. Most are chatting about their plans for the evening. I have none. Like always my mind is set on finishing my homework for the night, then possibly eating something, definitely bothering Johnny in some way, then sleep. Nothing special really, just the normal.

I turn down one of the hallways, the walls are lined with lockers. A few students linger in groups to finish up their gossip for the day, but I simply walk past them and to my locker. I kick it open with ease, then grab my books that I will need for the morning. I take a moment to admire the pictures that I've taped to the inside of my locker. Old, yellowed photos of my brother and I. One shows his furry arm wrapped around my three-year-old shoulders and my mischievous amber eyes wide as I stick my tongue out at the camera. Big Brother has always been fond of pictures, and as I grew up he passed this trait to me. Daddy could care less for our cute memories, but sometimes these are the only things to keep me sane.

"Miss Worthington!" A freshman voice calls from down the hall. "Miss…"

"Just call me Ginger, please, Abby." I say to the monster that hops down the hall. It's one of my classmates; a quiet girl who often sits in the back and wears nerdy glasses. Unlike my arrogant brother, I show respect towards monsters like these, I know they try their best.

"O-okay. Ginger, you left your book in M-Ms. Hook's room. Here." She hands me the thick book with several papers of notes stuffed in between the pages.

"Oh, thanks. I thought I put it in my bag, but I guess not." I chuckle, paying no mind to her nervous stuttering.

She forces a smile. "Y-yeah."

"Alright then. See ya." I wave as I begin to walk back down the hall.

Her footsteps trot up behind me. "Um…"

"Yes?" I say softly.

She scratches the back of her skinny blue neck. "Y-your brother's friend…"

My ears prick forward. "What? Is he being mean to you? I can whoop his shell if you want. Just give me a reason." I crack the knuckles of all four of my hands.

"N-no, don't do that." She waves her claws in front of her face. "I was just…just wondering…" She rubs her arm and a blush appears on her face.

I try my best not to sneer in disgust, but my tone gives me away. "I have nothing with him. He's just my brother's stupid friend."

"Oh?" She peeps. "But I saw you walking down the hall last night."

" _Nothing happened_." I say firmly, still trying to keep my cool. "My brother was studying late last night and he sent his friend upstairs to find me… Wait, how do you know?"

"I-I-I was at a club meeting…" She whispers. "We saw you with him…"

I groan and rub the bridge of my nose. "I want you to make sure all of your friends know that nothing happened and nothing ever will happen between us. End of story."

"What about Make out Hall?" She asks before she can stop herself.

"The-what?"

"Wait wait wait, you haven't heard of Make out Hall?" She asks, her stutter disappearing. "Didn't your brother tell you?"

"No..." I answer. Johnny never told me anything about this, nothing even close. "What...exactly... is it?"

"Oh my gosh you seriously don't know?!" She exclaims. "It's that short hallway with the rounded ceiling just around the corner from room 213. It's got a heart carved into the wall on the left side. Don't you know that hall?"

"Yeah," I say slowly. "I know it, but what exactly is it?"

The bracelets on her wrists jingle as she holds her arms close to her chest. "Nothing more than the name implies. It's an old tradition, probably as old as this school, that if someone crosses your path in that hall, you have to…" She lowers her voice to a whisper, even though there's no one around us to eavesdrop. "You get to have a little fun."

"WHAT?!" I shout. "THERE IS NOTHING HAPPENING! I TOLD YOU!"

"I know, I know. I was just asking. So didn't you pass through that hall?"

"Uh…" Now that I think about it, we did go through a hallway like that. He stopped just before I entered. "Um… No. I didn't see anything like that." I lie. I don't want this supposedly innocent girl going around telling people that we passed through this... thing. And I certainly don't want anyone thinking that I have anything to do with that bug.

"Oh…" She says, seeming a bit disappointed. "I thought you…we all kinda thought you two were…"

"Why would you think that?" I ask, my voice treading dangerously close to annoyance.

"Well, um…" She reverts back to her usual quiet self, the version of her that I'm beginning to think I prefer. "I-It's just…his…"

Suddenly her eyes widen as she spots something behind me. "N-nothing. Nothing at all." She bumps into my shoulder as she rushes past me towards the door.

I watch her run past Johnny's silhouette and out the door. I growl at the dark figure standing next to him. "And you're here because?"

Javier chuckles darkly. "Perhaps I just wanted to see the lovely seniorita."

I hiss at him, not paying attention to Johnny roll his eyes.

"Or maybe your brother and I were planning the next party." He adds quickly.

Johnny nods, his amethyst eyes bright and a grin decorating his giddy expression. "This one's going to be much bigger than the last one. That one kind of blew, you have to admit."

Javier shrugged. "It was okay." And again I catch his red eyes raking over me.

"No matter," Hold my chin high as I stare them both down. "I'm not going."

They both seem a bit taken back by this. " _Por que?_ "

"Yeah why?" Johnny almost seems let down. "It wasn't that bad, sis."

"Maybe to you," I sneer. "But I didn't enjoy being pushed around and treated like some kind of _pet_." I spit the word. Those memories still burn like smoking embers in the back of my mind. "I would prefer not to have that happen again."

The two seniors exchange glances. "You never know, this one could be different." Johnny says.

"Si, no two parties are alike." Javier pipes, earning a very hard elbow in the stomach from Johnny.

"Keep your mouth shut." I hear him murmur, before looking back to me. "This one'll be better, sis," He shoots a glare at Javier. "I promise."

"No." I say blandly as I push open the doors. "I'll just stay home and not in a haunted disco palace thank you." The late afternoon sunlight is dimmer than normal and I can smell the early autumn breeze blowing in. "You two can get drunk and do your own thing, but I want no part in it."

Neither of them say anything, just look at each other. It seems like there's some kind of hidden language between them. Then they both turn to face me. "Alright then." They say at the same time, taking me by surprise. They both smirk as I jump at their voices.

"Come on, sis." Johnny says, walking past me and to his car. "I'm sure you've got _tons_ of homework to finish. May as well get home and start on it."

I take a step forward to follow him, but feel a clawed hand grasp my arm before I can move.

"Don't worry, Kitten. I won't forget about you." Javier hisses in my ear.

"I hate you." I growl so Johnny can't hear.

"I'm sure you do." He coos. I feel one of his hands on my shoulder, and another creeps around my waist. "So much in such a cute little Kitten."

I snarl and shove him away, not bothering to look back as I run up to join Johnny. I don't glance up from my feet until I'm buckled safely in the passenger seat, and when I do I glare daggers at the beetle.

He smirks back, that stupid smile drawn on his face like a signature.

I continue to stare at him as I lock the door and turn the radio all the way up. _I hate you so much._

* * *

 **Ookay, I know this chapter is a bit shorter than the last, but it was either this or I write it three times the normal length and leave myself with absolutely nothing to work with for the next one. Anyways, Abby is a bit of a representation of another side of me, the part that listens and watches my classmates but never actually is involved in much. She'll come up every now and then I guess, but like I said, she doesn't get too involved. And by the way there seriously is a hallway in my school called 'the make out hall'. I've heard gruesome stories from some of my friends passing awkwardly through there to get to class... geez. Anyway, I'll be working on the next chapter as soon as I can. Elf out!**


	6. Birthday

I sit peacefully in the shotgun of Johnny's car while he stares blankly at the road ahead. I'm kinda almost dozed off. I probably could have fallen asleep in the next few minutes, if his voice hadn't so rudely my nappy state.

"You know the party's tomorrow?"

I groan. "Yes, John. You've been telling me all week."

Another minute passes, and once again I find myself drifting into sleep.

"You do know what tomorrow is, right?" He asks.

One of my eyes peeps open and I glance over at him. He seems worried; his furry brows are knitted and his normally persistent smirk isn't present. "Saturday, the 31st of August."

"And you know what that day is?" He presses, his voice sounding even more childish.

"No. In fact I don't. Why don't you tell me?" I growl with sarcasm.

"Ginger…" He whines.

I sigh. "Tomorrow is my birthday. Yay. I survived another year. Happy me." My ears flatten against my head in annoyance. "This is the fifth time today you've asked about this."

He shuffles in his seat, not taking his eyes off the road. "I'm trying, sis. I want you to go."

"It's _my_ birthday," I huff. "I decide what I want to do, and that doesn't involve going to a drunken luau with a bunch of monsters who could care less if I dropped dead in front of them."

"I care…" He pouts.

My ears twitches. "And besides," I add. "I've got homework."

"In what?"

"Life, John. I have homework in Life."

He says nothing after that, just keeps driving as if we hadn't had this conversation, and soon we arrive back at the Worthington mansion. Mom greets me with a big hug, her ever present warm smile making me feel all soft inside.

"How was your day sweetie?" She asks, straightening her orange fur (something that was not passed on to me).

"Tiring." I admit with a small chuckle.

"Oh I'm sorry." She coos as she strokes her claws through my hair. "The first year always catches you off guard,"

"You never know what to expect." I finish her saying before she can blink. "I know mom."

She smiles, and I feel the small light inside of me glow a bit brighter. I'd rather stay home on my birthday with my mom than party with a bunch of monsters I don't know any day. My mom is the kind of monster that will make you forget that there is even a single problem with this world, and I'm glad to be able to call her my mother.

* * *

The biology textbook I had been reading lies open and lonely on my desk. I, on the other hand, sit in front of the mirror fixing my hair with different ribbons and different styles. The turquoise ribbon with a lopsided French braid is my favorite. I think it gives me an 'I don't care, but I feel pretty, deal with it' kind of look.

I snicker to myself. Any kind of man who thought he could try a go with me would find himself running for the hills before he could say 'scare', because truth be told, I'm an evil little demon (no matter how cute Johnny says I am when I say this).

I take a glance over at my clock; 9:49. Johnny's probably already snuck out. Earlier today he'd tried to convince me to go to the party again, saying that he'd wanted me to come and that what happened last time would never happen again. I simply told him that I didn't want to go. I was going to finish my homework and study. Ha, study… _riiiight._

I look back at the wide open book at my desk, then my own reflection in the mirror. My reflection has a very guilty expression on her face. She probably doesn't feel like studying either.

"But I kind of have to…" I whisper to myself. "And finish my homework…" I actually haven't done anything today.

I groan to myself and slowly drag my feet over to where my desk is, flopping down on the chair and pulling my folders out of my bag.

Then I hear I feint tapping sound, like a small click.

Chances are it's just my big ears straining for the slightest sound to get me distracted.

But there it is again, this time louder.

Nope. I've got to focus. I have a lot of homework and a limited amount of time, and I really don't want to flunk.

 _Clank!_

Suddenly I realize that the sound is something hitting my window. I get up to open it, shoving it all the way up to stick my head out. What I see could not be more horrifying.

I see a familiar beetle leaning against a tree with a handful of pebbles in his claws. His smirk grows when he sees me; that pearly white, devilish smile.

I want to yell, but I don't want to wake up Mom and Dad. So instead I very violently mouth " _What the bloody hell are you doing here?"_

He only smiles back, his red eyes never leaving mine.

" _I swear I'll kill you."_

He chuckles darkly, but still says nothing. He points a black claw down at the ground.

I hiss. " _Why should I?_ "

This time he mouths back. " _I think you'll find it much easier to tear me apart if you're down here._ "

I growl, but quickly scurry away from my window and out of my room, soon out of the house and into the crisp night air. I dart around the side of the house to find him still leaning casually on the tree, his eyes still following me everywhere.

I rush up to him and without hesitation smack him in the face. "Why are you here?"

"Ow! Hey calm down, let me explain." He says with all calmness.

I growl, crossing my arms and sneering. "Fine. Let me hear your story. _Then_ I'll kill you."

He seems genuinely surprised that I let him speak, but quickly resumes his normal dark personality. "Your brother told me it was your birthday; he planned the party today for you."

"What does this have to do with you coming to my house and throwing stones at my window?" My fist clenches to keep my claws from dragging across his face.

"I take it you don't know how he felt when you told us you weren't going?"

I say nothing.

"I suppose it's a sibling thing not to tell each other the truth." He sighs, and suddenly loses all of his charm with that one sentence. "All that was thrown on me all week. Every other sentence he was telling me how bad he felt about the last party, and how even worse he felt about this one now that you weren't going. When he told me that today was your birthday, well, I knew I had to do something. I didn't want the little Kitten to feel left out on her special day." His grin slowly returns as he speaks. "I told you I wouldn't forget."

I struggle to keep my breathing steady. "I didn't want to go because of you. What exactly do think coming here to tell me this is going to change?"

The look on his face tells me that this was not a question he was prepared to answer. "I-I…well, um…" He scratches the back of his head and shuffles uncomfortably. "I…um…didn't want you to feel neglected or anything… Your brother wasn't owning up to his shame, s-so I thought I would."

I raise an eyebrow. "Neglected?"

I can hear his teeth chattering at this point. "Well…you didn't go to the party, so I thought I'd take you somewhere…?" He looks at me expectantly, as if he expects come kind of answer.

"Me? Go with you? And what makes you think I'll do that?" I hiss.

He shrugs. "Free food, you're not stuck in your room, getting away from that studying, I don't know I'm running on luck here…" He mumbles the last part.

"It's 10 at night."

His antennae droop and his normally threatening red eyes now look…sad.

"But I honestly don't feel like studying." I say before I can slap my hands over my mouth. "What've I got to loose."

He actually looks shocked.

"I'll go."

He flashes his pearly smile, but this time it's genuine. A real, non-threatening smile. "Follow me." He says before rushing off around the corner of the mansion.

When he's not looking I smack myself in the forehead, making a solid _thunk_ ; proof of my hollow brain. Then I stride after him.

When I round the corner I see him grinning wider than I've ever seen before. He twirls a keychain around one of his claws and behind him sits a shiny black Mustang.

"It's my father's, but I borrowed it. Just for tonight." He snickers, clearly very proud of himself. He quickly opens the passenger's door and gestures for me to get in.

"For a jerk you're a real gentleman." I scoff.

"I'll take that as a compliment," He says as he gets in the driver's side. " _Kitten._ "

* * *

 **Alright, sorry about the late update. But there you have it. I seriously so excited right now! I need to plan the next chapter, hopefully I'll get it out soon. I love the sweet reviews, keep it up! Anyway, I'll see ya next chapter. Elf out!**


	7. Onward

Once the car starts moving I finally find the willpower to breathe, and when I do I'm hit with the suffocating aroma of smoke and ash. I gag on my own breath and wave the air around my face, trying to shoo away the retched stench. "Uh, this is your dad's car?"

He nods. "Si."

"Umm, does he smoke?" I try my best not to sound offensive, but the whole smoking business never made sense to me.

"No, he doesn't. It's just always like this." He shrugs. My guess is that he's asked that a lot.

I swallow the lump that had been forming in my throat and lean against the window, staring quizzically at my reflection. _What am I doing?_ I ask myself. _I hate him! Why am I here? What made you think this was a good idea?_

My reflection just shrugs slightly.

 _Tomorrow's Sunday, I'll start on all my work first thing in the morning. I'll get it done tomorrow._ I breathe shakily to myself. _Why couldn't I just have said no and been done with all this… I'm so stupid…_

"You okay there, Kitten?" He asks cheerily, breaking me from my self-shaming thoughts.

I hiss. "Why do you insist on calling me that?"

"The ears, the tail, the eyes, the attitude, you're like a tiny cat." He chuckles. "A very small, feisty cat."

"Shut up." I growl. "If you call me Kitten, what am I going to call you? Massive Pain in the Tail?"

"Ooh that's a bit of a mouthful." He teases. "How about you just call me by my real name for once? I've never even heard you say it."

"Nah, I'm good."

"Oh come on Kitten." He playfully swats my arm, getting a growl from me. "Four easy syllables."

I give him a puzzled look. "Four?"

"Javier Rios. Si, cuatro."

Whatever I had been thinking, it's forgotten now. Replaced with only one thought, which I voice very clearly. "WAIT YOU'RE A RIOS?!" I shout, causing him to jerk the steering slightly.

"Si," He says once he's gotten the car straight again. "Isn't it obvious?"

My teeth chatter at the sudden chilling realization. "Oh…oh…okay, this…makes a bit more sense now…"

He chuckles. "Que pasa, Kitten? I didn't think it would be so surprising."

"S-so…" I stutter. "You're the son of Don Diego Rios? The scarer?"

His playful expression fades. "Yes, that's me." He says sourly.

"Oh…" I breathe, looking down at my feet. "I guess that explains a lot."

He says nothing, only growls so low that I can barely hear it.

After a moment, an idea hits me. "So, this makes you the Rios Boy." I grin slyly.

"Que?" His antennae curve in confusion. "Que quieres decir?"

"That's what I'm going to call you." I say proudly.

"I'm not sure…"

"Nope. You're Rios Boy." I cackle at the irritated look on his face, it's priceless.

He hisses before focusing on the lights now flashing past us.

When I peer out the window my mouth opens in shock. Outside there are towering buildings and neon lights everywhere. This looks to be somewhere in downtown Monstropolis, with all the late night, nocturnal monsters gathering around the entrances to certain clubs and bars. I feel a quiver shoot up my spine. "Uh, where are you taking me?"

His smirk returns. "It's a surprise, Kitten."

I hiss. "Fine then." I give him my own smirk. " _Rios Boy."_

With a growl he pulls into what looks to be a very modest restaurant, at least for this part of the city. The front is decorated with bright neon lights that read "Shredders; Casual Café".

"After you." He smirks with his utmost charm.

I just stick my tongue out at him.

He greets the waitress with a casual smile, and insists for a booth. We end up with a comfy booth by the corner.

"Um," I start as I click my claws together. "This isn't exactly casual." My amber eyes dart around at the lavish furniture, expensive chandeliers, and massive fish tank.

"Would you have preferred if I'd driven you to the party?"

I quickly take a seat. "Nope. Nope."

"It wouldn't have been a bad idea actually." He admits. "I'm sure your brother would have been very happy to see you."

"Yeah," I huff as I drag my claws across the colorful tabletop. "Sure."

The waitress drops off our menus and addresses Javier first. "Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"I'll just have water." He says as he picks up a menu and begins to scan through it.

"Water." I say when she looks to me.

After a minute of staring blankly into the menu, he speaks up. "The party would have been more fun."

"No," I say firmly. "It would have been no better than the last one."

"You say that," I can feel his red eyes look up from his menu and to me. "But the whole reason you didn't go is sitting right across from you."

I hiss and flick my menu down on the table. "So you admit it?"

He nods. "I do. Johnny thought it was just the party itself, but honestly…" He glances down at the table for a second. "I-I'm the reason."

I cross my arms and growl. "I might have considered going this time if I hadn't met you the last." I spit.

"Ouch." He groans.

"Life would have been easier, I'm just saying." I say, picking up my menu again.

"So," he continues, as though the growl from behind my menu isn't threatening at all. "You know that the reason you're not at your party tonight is because of me, and yet here you are." I can feel his red eyes piercing into my soul. "Why is that?"

I moan so quietly that it's barely audible and set my menu back down. "You said Johnny felt bad, sense this is my birthday and all, and… I know how my brother can be, but he's really just a big softie, and he probably thinks I don't care, but…" I clasp my claws together in my lap, not bothering to look up.

"You're doing this out of guilt." He says softly, interoperating my thoughts better than I ever could.

I finally look up, trying my best not to appear weak and unstable, but failing miserably. I nod slowly.

He smiles; another genuine one. "Welcome to the club."

* * *

He orders the shrimp platter, and, after a quizzical look from me, explains that seafood has always been his favorite. I get the grilled chicken, which he pokes fun at for being only further proof of my 'tiny cat nature'. Nothing much happens for the rest of the night, and after we've finished we leave the so called 'casual café'. He opens the door for me again, to which I politely thank him this time. Then he gets behind the wheel and drives me home.

It must be really late, because at some point along the drive I felt my head getting foggier, and then the neon lights and the road disappeared completely. I enter some kind of dreamland, where I'm deep in a stone maze.

The cobblestone beneath my feet is overgrown with moss and grasses. I look up, expecting to see the top of the wall, but nothing. The stone path continues on endlessly in every direction. I can't see what lies ahead, nor can I know what watches me from above.

After what feels like hours of trudging down the infinite halls, I hear something. It sounds like footsteps. My fluffy ears prick upwards. The sound continues, getting louder and louder, until the footsteps echo through the entire maze. I look madly around, hoping to see whatever it is running towards me, but there is nothing but the deafening foot falls of an unseen predator.

Then all at once, it stops.

I sense something behind me. A heat like a blazing fire resonates from where I cannot see. The heat wafts around me, closing in and scratching at my skin with flame fingers.

I yell and run as fast as I can away from the dreadful feeling. The heat follows closely at my tail, but is soon left behind and replaced with the chilling calm of the dark maze.

I drop to my knees panting, with sweat dripping from my nose. I gasp, letting the cold, stale air fill my lungs. I clutch my arms, trying to get a hold of myself.

Once my breathing steadies, I carefully lift myself to my feet. Opening my eyes and facing the path in front of me.

But instead of the dark path, I find a wooden door. There is no window, no message carved into it, and no lock on the brass handle. It's just a normal wooden door.

I reach out for it, wanting to escape this nightmare, but something stops me. What is it about this that is wrong? Something just doesn't feel right.

I pull my hand back, close my eyes, and take a deep breath. Then I turn around.

Behind me there is another wall, but instead of dull and grey like the rest of the maze, this one has been painted. There are more colors than I could ever imagine, all rushing together and somehow, out of the wildness of my mind, creating a picture. A great wave of water towers high above my head, the details of the froth and waves seems so realistic that it could pop out at any moment and drown me.

I take a step closer to it, my amber eyes wide with awe. When I look closer, I can see words written in amongst the waves. I squint and creep ever closer, and when my eyes can finally make out the tiny golden lettering, I realize that there is only one word.

 _Trouble._

My claws reach out to touch the colorful stone, but just as my hand nears the cold surface… the wall disappears. The stone waves ripple around my hand and soon are gone completely.

Then I feel a cold hand on my shoulder, and wake up.

"Ack!" I yelp when I see those red eyes looming over me.

"Calmate, calmate." He hushes when he sees me bare my claws at him. "I'm not going to hurt you, Kitten." He teases.

I hiss once more.

"Well, you're home. Are you going to get out?" He asks as he steps away from the car door.

It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust and for the memories to come back, but when they do I just yawn it off. I'm too tired to contemplate on such things.

I step out of his car and take a few seconds to stretch. I can feel his eyes on me the whole time, but I simply ignore him.

He puts a hand on my shoulder before I can walk away. "Kitten." He smirks.

"Rios Boy." I hiss. "I still hate you."

"I'm sure you do." He chuckles, and I feel the hand on my shoulder slide down to my arm. "But something tells me that you hate me a little bit less than you did before tonight."

I growl and pull away from him, then drag myself up the stone steps of the mansion without another word. Before opening the grand doors, I pick up a small note that had been taped to the handle. I recognize Johnny's handwriting immediately, and written on the note is only one word.

 _Losers._

I snort. For a big scary monster my brother sure is cute when he's pouty.

My little form crawls through the dark house, up the stairs, and down the hall where my room is. But before I slip inside, I stop. My ears flick backwards to the sound of muffled snores.

I creep back down the hall and to the room where Johnny sleeps. I peek my head in and see his sleeping form curled up in bed, but what catches my eye is the lamp by his desk, which is still on. Curious, I stalk up to his desk, which is crowded with papers. And when I take a closer look, I realize they're familiar papers.

I gently pick up one, and recognize it as a Geometry assignment. My name is hastily scribbled at the top in my own handwriting.

When I leaf through the rest of them, I realize that all of these are mine. This is all the homework I'd been procrastinating on; all of it now finished.

I turn around to face the sleeping giant, who is still unaware of my presence. I whisper a word of thanks, gather up my papers, and leave him to sleep for as long as he wants.

* * *

 **Sorry about the delay** ** _again_** **. A lots been happening to me in the past couple days, and I just wish it would stop. So anyway, there's that. I wish I had a big brother to help me with my homework, but I'm all by myself. And Shredders is a play on Cheddars. I really don't think that place is casual at all. You can interoperate Ginger's dream however you want, but it does have meaning. Welp, I'll see you next chapter. Elf out!**


	8. Rumor

The blur of monsters rush past me as everyone bustles through the crowded halls to get to their next classes. Next I have Biology, my last class of the day, which is all the way upstairs and down various hallways.

I yawn. On the first day of being a freshman I had been afraid that I'd be late for that class, but now I know that I've got plenty of time. So I hop up the steps one by one, taking my time and zipping through a quick checklist in my mind; making sure I have everything I need and that Ms. Hook will have no reason to glare at me. _Yep._ I've got all of my textbooks and that assignment she'd given us over the weekend. So I should be good.

In my little daze I don't pay any attention to the various monsters dodging past me, nor the funny looks some of them give me. I only snap back to reality when I feel familiar claws grab my shoulder.

"Hola Kitten." He says, and I can hear the smirk that's undoubtedly on his face.

"What do you want Rios Boy?" I drawl, but the growl I hear after I say this brings a smile to my face.

"Your brother wanted me to tell you he's staying after again." He says through gritted teeth.

"Oh okay, thanks for telling me." I brush his claws off my shoulder and continue down the hall. At least Johnny had the decency to give me a heads up this time.

I rub my eyes and glance up from the floor for once, now noticing some to the strange looks I'm getting from passing monsters. My ears flatten and I shrink down a bit. I've never really been too fond of being stared at. I quickly look back down at the floor, not wanting to have to look anyone in the eyes.

I hear footsteps stride up beside me and force myself to suppress a groan. "Yes?" I grumble.

"Nothing. Nothing." He says a little too cheerful for my taste.

I don't bother holding back a hiss. "I'm sure you have class. You should get going." I say flatly.

He chuckles. "Aww, sounds like you want to get rid of me."

"Take a hint." I snap.

"Ouch." He says blandly. "Maybe I just wanted to tell you that you look good in a tank top, but I guess we'll never know because you're so mean."

"What are you doing?" I ask, utterly confused.

"Poor Kitten." He pouts. "I'm just telling you what I think."

I sneer in disgust as that smirk creeps onto his face. "Ew."

"What's the matter?" He presses. "Can't take a compliment?"

I visibly darken and turn around to face him, my arms crossed and my tail bristling. "Listen buster, I've got to get to class, and unless you want to lose your antennae you should too." I hiss and bare my teeth, jabbing a finger at his chest. "So shove off! Before the claws come out."

Then I turn on my hock and leave, not waiting for whatever snide answer he might be able to come up with. As I leave I don't notice the multitude of eyes gawking at me, and I miss the fire-breathing monster that had seen my little rant puff a cloud of smoke in Javier's face and whisper "Burrrrrn", but I do hear him punch said monster in the gut and walk away.

* * *

Aaaand another assignment in Biology. Even with all of my homework on time (as usual) and no sarcastic comments or bemused expressions throughout the whole class, nothing stopped that foul old lizard from sneering at me. For whatever reason Ms. Hook just _really_ doesn't like me. She always picks on me and gives me this disdainful glare. Johnny tells me that he got the same treatment, but I get the feeling she had a reason to not like him, and this reputation was dropped onto me. Because—as his little sister—I should be just like him and no different whatsoever.

I hiss at the thought. I'm not like him. I'm _way_ better.

I take my time to gather my books from my locker, knowing that Johnny is staying late and I'm _not_ riding the bus. My tail happily sways as I swing around the corners and downstairs. A grin creeps across my face as I peer down the steps. A flicker goes off in the shadows of my mind and soon fans its way into a flame.

I jump the last couple of steps and make my way over to the cafeteria. I peek inside, immediately spotting my brother as he sits mulling over his papers once more. My smirk grows as I crouch down on all six; a helpful trick that he foolishly passed on to me. I stay low, slithering under the tables and to the other side of the room until I reach my destination. My tail twitches in anticipation as I ready myself for the attack… And I pounce.

Johnny lets out a frightened yelp when he feels my claws latch onto his horns. Out of reflex he tries to shake me off, but that only makes me laugh and gives him a major head rush. "GINGER GET OFF I SWEAR WHEN I GET MY CLAWS ON YOU…"

I just cackle from my position on his shoulders. "Aww, what the matter fluff? Did I scare you?"

"You call me that one more time and I'll…"

Before he can finish swearing I hop off his shoulders and get in his face. "You're just a big floofy purple puff ball and you can't deny it!" I tease.

He swipes his claws at my nose, but I easily jump out of the way, still laughing.

Once I get a hold on my breathing once again, I think I hear an echo of my own laughter, but quickly realize that it's not mine. I look up from the place on the floor where Johnny shoved me down to see him glaring hatefully at the cafeteria entrance. I glance over to see what he's staring at too see a familiar beetle. Of course I shouldn't be surprised.

Javier is leaning against the wall to keep himself from falling over with hysterical laughter and clutching his abdomen to steady his breathing. "Oh no… Usted ha sido atacado…hermano…no…"

"Shut. Up." Johnny growls.

I cover my mouth to muffle the intense giggles that arise seeing my big tough brother so disgruntled and embarrassed.

The beetle finally gets control of himself and joins us at the table, an evil grin still plastered on his face. "Good to see you too," His red eyes glance from me to Johnny. "Senior Puff Ball."

I just can't take it anymore. I clutch my knees to my chest from laughing so hard while Johnny stares Javier down. Oh his face is priceless. I wish I had a camera right now. Oh my goodness.

"You'll be lucky if you still have a throat by the end of the day." Johnny grumbles as Javier takes a seat.

Javier huffs as if he isn't baffled at all by this threat. "So, more math?" He asks, picking up one of the many papers that had been spewed on the table.

"I hate it." Johnny mumbles, taking another paper and scribbling something down. "Gives me a headache."

I sit there and blankly stare off into the distance for a while, until a sudden idea hits me. "Uh, John, I'm gonna head upstairs real quick."

Both of them look up at me. "What for?" Johnny asks.

"Just want to check on something." I say blandly before grabbing my stuff and speed walking out of the cafeteria. I didn't lie. There is something I want to check on. Just out of desperate curiosity.

I hop back up the steps, down several dark hallways and through the make out corridor. The grip on my bag's leather strap tightens as I imagine several scenarios that could lie in front of me. I turn one last corner, seeing one door cracked open just slightly and hearing several voices beyond it. My fluffy ears try to pick out the conversation, but all I can get is muffled and quiet.

I take a deep breath, pushing all anxiety from my mind, and knock.

The voices behind the door all silence. I hear a small bit of whispering, then the shuffling of footsteps. The door creaks open, revealing a familiar, baby blue face.

Her golden brown eyes widen at the sight of me.

"Hey Abby." I smile timidly.

"G-Ginger, uh… W-what are you doing here?" She stammers.

"Oh, I just thought I'd drop by, see what you guys were up to." I say quaintly.

She opens the door a little bit more. "O-okay."

"May I come in?"

"Oh yes, yes. Of course." She steps aside, letting me into the half lit room.

I nod in thanks, stepping inside. My amber eyes quickly san around the room, and am greeted with the curious faces of four other monsters. "Hi." I wave nervously.

"Uh, who's this?" A red reptilian monster asks Abby. "Friend of yours?"

"Oh this is Ginger. I told you guys about her." My friend introduces me, much to my relief. "You know her brother and all… that."

The reptile perks up a bit, getting up from her seat atop one of the tables. "You're the little freshman we saw with Rios the other week?"

My ears lower and I try my best not to growl. "My name is Ginger." I say with as much patience as I can muster.

"Wait a second, wait a second…" She shushes. "You're that Worthington's little sister, aren't you?"

I take a deep breath to calm myself. "Yes."

Her scaly tail sweeps around and she holds her claws to her chest, her brown eyes wide in amazement. "Oh my gosh, hi!" She suddenly leaps up to me and shakes my hand vigorously. "I didn't think I'd meet you but here you are! Ooh let me get a look at ya." The strange monster exclaims before circling around me.

I yelp and my bag slips from my grasp when I feel my arm lifted up as she inspects me like some kind of crazy witch doctor.

"Very smooth, nice color, sturdy built…" She mumbles, making me feel increasingly uncomfortable. She turns my palm up to look at it. "Well-manicured, small but not delicate, fine texture…" She rambles on and doesn't take any notice of my obvious discomfort, or at least doesn't acknowledge it. "Lovely hues in the hair, nice style, ooh pretty ribbon…" She takes a step back for a minute. "Slim figure, split-complementary colors, bright eyes… Looks like a real winner if I do say so myself!"

I bend down to gather the loose papers that had fallen out of my bag and catch Abby out of the corner of my eye in a terrible fit of giggles.

"My name's Chris. Chris Rosegold." She shakes my hand once she's finished looking me over and scaring me half to death. "Sorry about that, I'm just so excited!" She squeaks.

I try to keep the goosebumps at bay while I speak. "Excited? Um, what for?"

She looks reasonably surprised by this question, but shakes it off and grins brightly at me. "Sit down, sit down. We have a lot to talk about." She gestures for me to take a seat as she returns to her spot on one of the tables.

I take a seat text to Abby on one of the other tables, curling my tail around my legs nervously. "Uh, so… What do you guys do? Aren't you a club?"

Chris nods. "Yeah, we just kinda get together and hang out. Fangirl Club. It's what we do."

"So… Why did you want to see me?"

"Oh we wanted to know how you and Rios are getting along. We saw you that one night walking down the hall and…"

"I ship it!" Interrupted a tall blond haired monster.

My ears flatten against my head. "There's nothing between us."

"Yeah that's what Ab told us you said." Chris nods.

I frown at the monster beside me who's blushing a violent shade of pink. "Seriously?"

"We were curious." She mumbles as she stares off into a corner, not willing to look at me.

"Yeah yeah, we are. So tell us how you did it girl, c'mon!"

"Did what?"

But before either of us can say anything else, another girl pipes in. "Isn't it obvious? She's a Worthington, he's a Rios."

"That does make sense." Admits the other.

"Suppose you're right." Chris says. "I guess it makes some sense."

"No. It doesn't." I say firmly. "There is _nothing_ between us." I grit my teeth to keep myself from hissing. "He's just my brother's friend."

"Wha'd'ya mean?" Chris asks, cocking her head to one side. "You can't say he's not the least bit attractive."

"He's an insect." I state. "I am a mammal."

"Yeah? I'm a reptile and I think he's pretty hot." Chris says dreamily.

"Ew." I spit.

"C'mon Ginger." Abby nudges me in the side. "Play along with him. It's clear he likes you."

"No. I'm not just a little pet. I won't let him just get what he wants."

"Ooooh so you're playing hard-to-get?" Chris teases.

"NO. I'm just not into that stuff. He's a jerk."

"Aww, why don't you just humor him for once? I bet it'd be fun." Abby gives me a playful punch in the arm, earning a glare form me.

"Yeah, play his game. C'mon, he's a Rios! Do it for the sake of heck." Chris chuckles, and then in a darker tone, "You'd probably get some fun out of him too."

I feel a growl rumbling deep in my chest, but before I can snap we all hear a loud crash outside the door. Chris jumps up to peek her head out the door.

"What was that?" One of the girls asks.

"Don't see anything. Must've been the janitor or something." Chris shrugs, returning to her seat. "So anyway, back to business."

"Um, actually, I think I'll be going now." I say as I lift my bag over my shoulder again.

"Wait what? Why? We just barely got started!" Chris asks, shocked.

"Big Brother is probably wondering where I am and I don't want him to worry or anything." I give a half-hearted explanation as I head for the door. "He'll be looking for me soon anyway."

The girls all exchange glances before Chris speaks. "Okay then. Feel free to come back anytime."

"Thanks." I mumble before speed walking out the door and down the hall. "Well that didn't go as I expected." I whisper to myself.

I quickly round a corner and crash into something hard. My heart leaps into my throat as I realize what I'd just ran into is the shell of a familiar beetle.

"Better watch where you're going, Kitten." Javier chuckles as he helps me to my feet.

"Shut up." I spit before a chilling realization hits me. "Uh… How long have you been standing there?"

His evil grin returns full force. "Long enough to catch the tail end of your little conversation."

My ears droop and I shrink a little. "Well don't think this changes anything." I say shakily.

He turns back down the hall with a that grin still on his face. "I didn't expect it to. You sounded like you were seconds away from snapping their necks."

"And I'll break yours if you don't shut up about it." I growl.

"Trust me, Kitten, I won't say a word." He raises his hands in innocence, but his red eyes glance down at me mischievously. "Chances are; I won't have to."

I look up at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"

He smirks. "Well, how long do you think it will take for rumor to go around that a little freshman shot down the one and only Javier Rios?" He says slyly. "Not long at all, Kitten."

"Oh great." I moan.

He chuckles darkly. "It'll only get worse."

* * *

I yawn as I throw my book bag down on my bed. The thoughts of the Fangirl Club are pushed away as I grab a pencil and a blank piece of paper. I need to get working on my homework and then get to studying. I pull out my math book and the papers I'd been working on, then dig deeper to find my book for Biology.

But it's not there.

I open it all the way, shuffling through old papers and stray note books, but there's no sign of the book or the papers I'd put in it. It's just gone.

* * *

 **Hey! I'm back, and I didn't die yet. So there it is. I, without a doubt, would be a member of the Fangirl Club. No regrets here. Welp, I'm working on the next chapter already and had to stop myself from making this chapter uber long. I love the feedback! It makes me feel so bright and warm inside to hear what you think! So then, Elf out!**


	9. Update: Rewrite

**Hello dear readers! I'm sorry about the long delay in this fic, but I've decided to rewrite it. The title and characters will be the same, but I'm going to make some tweaks that will affect the overall plotline. The new chapters should be out soon now that I have a lot more free time on my hands.**

 **Again, I'm very sorry about the sudden update, but I've got big plans for Craze's new rendition!**

 **Elf out!**


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